Citizens Advice Scotland

Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS), legally the Scottish Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux (SACAB), is a Scottish charity and company limited by guarantee. Based in Edinburgh, it is the umbrella organisation for 58 independent local citizens advice bureaux in Scotland and manages the Extra Help Unit.

The local bureaux provide free, confidential, impartial and independent advice and information. CAS supports and represents the bureaux, which are separately governed charities, but does not itself provide general advice directly to the public.

History

+ Key events in the development of Citizens Advice in Scotland Year Event 1938 The National Council of Social Service began planning a network of citizens advice bureaux to meet the expected needs of the civilian population during a war. 15 January 1939 A citizens advice bureau opened in Bath Street, Glasgow. It was formed in anticipation of the outbreak of the Second World War and was the first operational citizens advice bureau in the United Kingdom. 4 September 1939 Around 200 citizens advice bureaux opened across the United Kingdom following the outbreak of the Second World War. Bureaux were subsequently established in Edinburgh, Aberdeen and elsewhere in Scotland. March 1941 Following the Clydebank Blitz, 54 volunteers, including volunteers from the Glasgow and Edinburgh bureaux, assisted at Glasgow Corporation's emergency and casualty centre. They helped arrange shelter and identify and trace casualties and missing people. 1942 More than 60 citizens advice bureaux were operating in Scotland, supported by over 700 volunteers. 1975 Amid concern that a London-based information service could not adequately reflect Scotland's distinct legal and educational systems, the Scottish regional organisation became an autonomous umbrella body called the Scottish Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux (SACAB). 1980 SACAB became fully independent from the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux. 1984 SACAB was incorporated as a company with charitable status. 1988 SACAB adopted Citizens Advice Scotland as its trading name, while retaining the Scottish Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux as its legal name. 1990 CAS established a 24-hour advice line offering basic information about the community charge, commonly known as the poll tax. Scottish citizens advice bureaux recorded 46,000 enquiries about the charge between April 1989 and January 1990, and received additional grant funding from the Scottish Office to handle them. 1999 The establishment of the Scottish Parliament created a new devolved forum for CAS's policy and advocacy work.

The Citizens Advice network in Scotland

Each citizens advice bureau in Scotland is an independently governed charity and a member of Citizens Advice Scotland. Citizens Advice Scotland provides support and shared services to its member bureaux.

The bureaux network operates through almost 300 service points across Scotland, including locations in cities, towns, rural areas and island communities.

Advice services

The bureaux provide advice and practical assistance on matters including social security benefits, debt, consumer issues, employment, housing and relationships. They can negotiate on behalf of clients and may provide representation at tribunals.

Advice can be obtained through local bureaux, by telephone through the Scottish Citizens Advice Helpline and through online advice services.

Bureaux in the Scottish Citizens Advice network recorded client financial gains of more than £131 million in 2018–19 and £142.3 million in 2022–23, according to figures published by CAS.

Extra Help Unit

The Extra Help Unit is a statutory service managed by Citizens Advice Scotland and based in Glasgow. It assists people in vulnerable situations with energy and postal complaints across England, Scotland and Wales.

Research and policy

The bureaux supply Citizens Advice Scotland with anonymised information about the problems brought to them. CAS uses this information for research, policy work and campaigns concerning legislation, public services and consumer issues.

Governance and funding

CAS is governed by a volunteer board of trustees. The board includes trustees with links to member bureaux and an independent chair.

CAS receives Scottish Government funding for advice services and national programmes. In a 2021 parliamentary answer, the Scottish Government stated that most of its direct funding to CAS between 2016–17 and 2021–22 had been granted for onward distribution to member bureaux.

Response to the Supreme Court judgment in For Women Scotland

In May 2025, following the judgment in For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers, CAS informed staff that access to male- and female-only workplace toilets would be determined on the basis of biological sex, with a separate single-occupancy toilet available to any colleague. The Ferret reported objections from staff and legal experts who questioned whether the judgment required CAS to adopt that particular policy. CAS said that it considered the change necessary to comply with the law and would review its approach if official guidance changed.

Citizens Advice Scotland

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